Life in a Beijing hutong

John J. Kim, Chicago Tribune

Fan Xinghua, 35, retrieves laundry hanging on a clothesline in the Paoju Hutong in Beijing. "Everyone knows each other here," she said. "That's good for the children. They have lots of others to play with."

Fan Xinghua, 35, retrieves laundry hanging on a clothesline in the Paoju Hutong in Beijing. "Everyone knows each other here," she said. "That's good for the children. They have lots of others to play with." (John J. Kim, Chicago Tribune)

Beijing's courtyard houses reflect the values of a culture that puts far more emphasis on the family and society. Their walls are punctuated only by the main entrance gate or an occasional window. The ballet of city life that plays out beyond those walls, however, is vital and vivid.